Roskilde Cathedral

Roskilde Cathedral
Danish: Roskilde Domkirke
View from the north-west
55°38′34″N 12°4′48″E / 55.64278°N 12.08000°E / 55.64278; 12.08000
Location	Roskilde
Country	Denmark
Denomination	Church of Denmark
Previous denomination	Catholic Church
Website	www.roskildedomkirke.dk
History
Status	Active
Dedication	Virgin Mary (formerly St Lucius and the Holy Trinity)
Consecrated	1225
Architecture
Functional status	Cathedral
Heritage designation	protected monument 020410-79
Architect(s)	Absalon, Peder Sunesen
Style	French Gothic, Dutch Renaissance, Neoclassicism, Byzantine Revival, Modernist
Groundbreaking	c. 1170
Completed	1636
Specifications
Length	86 metres (282 ft)
Width	27 metres (89 ft)
Height	75.7 metres (248 ft)[1]
Number of towers	2
Number of spires	2
Administration
Diocese	Roskilde
Clergy
Bishop(s)	Ulla Thorbjørn Hansen
UNESCO World Heritage Site
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Criteria	Cultural: ii, iv
Reference	695
Inscription	1995 (19th Session)

Roskilde Cathedral (Danish: Roskilde Domkirke), in the city of Roskilde on the island of Zealand (Sjælland) in eastern Denmark, is a cathedral of the Lutheran Church of Denmark.

The cathedral is the most important church in Denmark, the official royal burial church of the Danish monarchs, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is due to two criteria: the architecture of the cathedral shows 800 years of European architectural styles, and it is one of the earliest examples in Scandinavia of a Gothic cathedral to be built in brick; it encouraged the spread of the Brick Gothic style throughout Northern Europe. Constructed during the 12th and 13th centuries, the cathedral incorporates both Gothic and Romanesque architectural features in its design. The cathedral has been the main burial site for Danish monarchs since the 15th century. As such, it has been significantly extended and altered over the centuries to accommodate a considerable number of burial chapels and the many added chapels show different architectural styles.

The cathedral is a major tourist attraction, bringing in over 165,000 visitors annually. Since 1995, it has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its unique architecture. A working church, it also hosts concerts throughout the year.